Sunali Khatun, who was forcibly pushed back to Bangladesh while pregnant on suspicion of being a ‘Bangladeshi’, gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital in Birbhum on Monday, marking a moment of relief and joy after months of suffering, legal struggle and uncertainty.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress (TMC) All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee congratulated Sunali on the birth of her child. Abhishek Banerjee also announced that he would visit Rampurhat on Tuesday to meet Sunali and her newborn.
Expressing his emotions, Abhishek wrote on X, “I am deeply moved and genuinely heartened to learn that Sunali Khatun has given birth to a healthy baby boy at Rampurhat Medical College, Birbhum. This moment of joy feels even more profound against the backdrop of the injustice she was subjected to.” He added that Sunali had been treated in an “inhuman” manner last year.
Sunali’s ordeal began in June 2024. On June 17, Delhi Police arrested Sunali, her husband and their young son from Rohini, Delhi, where they had been living. Allegedly mistaken for Bangladeshi nationals because they spoke Bengali, the family was detained. On June 26, Sunali — despite being pregnant — along with several others, was forcibly pushed back across the border into Bangladesh.
Her suffering did not end there. On August 20, Sunali was arrested by the police of Chapai Nawabganj in Bangladesh on charges of being an ‘infiltrator’ and was detained for several months.
The matter eventually reached the judiciary in India. The Calcutta High Court directed that Sunali be brought back to India within four weeks. When the order was not implemented, a contempt of court petition was filed. The central government subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which ordered that Sunali and her child be brought back to the country.
Following the apex court’s directive, Sunali and her eight-year-old son were repatriated to India on December 6, 2025. She was admitted to Rampurhat Medical College for medical care due to complications arising from prolonged stress and neglect.
While Sunali and her son are now back in India, the crisis remains unresolved for her family. Four others, including her husband, are still stranded in Bangladesh. Cases demanding their return are pending before the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court.
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